Creating Characters That Breathe
Creating Characters That Breathe
Writing from Truth, Not Protection
This is a live, intimate writing workshop focused on character, emotional truth, and voice.
You don’t need to be “good.”
You don’t need experience.
You don’t need permission.
You need honesty.
In this workshop, we move away from polished writing and toward living characters — characters shaped by desire, contradiction, fear, and unspoken truths.
This is not a lecture.
This is not critique.
This is not about technique for technique’s sake.
It is about writing from the places we usually protect.
Who this is for
Writers (plays, film, prose, memoir)
First-time or emerging storytellers
Actors developing original material
Anyone who has felt a story inside them but wasn’t sure they were “allowed” to write
Especially welcoming to South Asian and culturally rooted storytellers, though all are welcome
No prior writing experience required — only curiosity and courage.
What we’ll do
During this live session, you will:
Learn why most characters feel flat — and how to remove their armor
Build a fully realized character using a guided framework
Write from the character’s wound, not their performance
Create a raw monologue or scene in real time
Leave with a repeatable process you can return to again and again
Most of the workshop is spent writing.
What you’ll leave with
A living, breathing character
A piece of original writing (scene or monologue)
A clear creative method you can reuse
Permission to write without apology
What this is not
Not a grammar or structure class
Not a motivational talk
Not therapy
This is craft, truth, and process — held in a safe, respectful container.
Format
Live, online workshop (Zoom)
Cameras optional
Limited, curated group to protect the space
Length: ~2.5 hours
About the facilitator
Ayeshah Alam is a writer, producer, and creator whose work centers emotionally honest, culturally rooted storytelling. She is the creator of the immersive theatre production Anarkali Re-imagined and the founder of Dreamers HTX, a platform dedicated to bold, truthful creative work.
Important note
This workshop is intentionally small and curated to create a safe and honest environment. You do not need to identify as a writer to participate.
If you’ve ever felt a story inside you — especially one shaped by culture, silence, or inheritance — you belong here.